Improvement in projectiles



ilnirrsn rates PATENT since.

JOHN w, cocsnAn, on NEW YORK, n; Y

IMPRQVfiNlENT lN P ROJECTILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,123,1latcd September 25, 1860.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. JOHN 'W. Cocnnan. of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new auduseful Improvements in Projectiles for Ordnance and Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the'following is a t'ull,.clear, and exaet'description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which Figure lis a longitudinal outside view ot'a shell or hollow shot with my improvement. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same complete. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the same without its charge. Fig. 4 exhibits the application part of my invention to a solid shot. Fig. 5 is a plan of a notched ring to be used as a missile in the hollow projectile. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construct-ion and operation;

The body of the projectile represented in laigs. l, 2, and 3 is constructed oi'three piecesviz., a hollow cylinder, A, composed of wrought-iron tubing, such as is used'for boiler-flnes and gas-pipe, a east or wrought iron head, B, constituting the front end, and a wrought-iron cup, (I, constituting the base or butt. The rear end of the cylinder A is swagcd down or otherwise reduced in size externally to receive the cup C, the exterior of which is of no larger diameter than that of the cylinder A. The cup 0 is fitted neatly onto the cylinder. The head Bis represented as being screwed into the cylinder; but the latter may be shrunk upon the head by being placed on hot and allowed to cool. The cup, when put on, fits up to a shoulder, c, on the cylinder, but its length or depth must be such as to leave a considerable space between its bottom (I and the rear end of the cylinder A, as shown at e c in Fig. 1.

a (1, Figs. 1, 2, 3, are two hollow beads or fillets, formed to project from and all around the exterior of cylinder A, by swaging or other mechanical manipnlationone near the front end. and the other near the rear of the cylinder-and b b are two similarb'eads or fillets formed upon the cup G.

Projectiles for muzzle-loading ordnance o. fire-arms may be made of such size that the projecting beads or fillets a a b b willfit easily to the lands of the bore of the gun, and those for breech-loading pieces-may be'made of similar size, in which case the chamber will not require to be taperedor enlarged; but those for breech-loading pieces with tapered or enlarged chambers might be made somewhat larger, if it should be found ofv any advantage. The operation of these heads a a b'b isas follows: \Vhen the gun is fired, the force of the explosion of the charge of powder acts principally against the base or bottom (I of the cup 0, but to somecxtent upon the rear sides of the beads orfillcts a a and b b, more especially of the rearmost-one, and before the inertia of the projectile can'be overcome the hollow beads or fillets a a and b I) yield to this force, and, as itwere, close up or are upset in the direction of the length'of the projectile, and are consequently expanded in a lateral direction toward the bore and rifle grooves, and thereby made to fit tightly into the bore and forced into the grooves in such a manner. as to fill them; or, at least, to such a depth as to insure the rotary motion of the projectile being produced by its being driven forward through the gun.

The above action of the beads or fillets is illustrated in Fig. 3, where the cup is repre sented, in red color, as having its bottom or base driven forward and its hollow beads or fillets a a upset lengthwise of the projectile and expanded laterally. In this action of the hollow beads or fillets, it is obvious, the projectileisshortened.

I do not propose, generally, to use the cup 6 when the cylindrical portion A of the hollow projectile has the hollow beads or fillets (t a formed in or upon both its i'rontand neat, but propose, generally, in such case to make the rear end or buttol' the shell of a solid piece of cast-iron. The cup 0, with its hol ow beads or fillets, is more especially designed for solid 'shot, on which it isto be'fit'tednp to. a shoul der, 0, as shown in Fig. 4, where part of the shot is sh0wn,in blue color,in substantially the same manner as to the cylinder A, as hereinabove described. The portion A of the shot or the cup 0, instead of having only a small number of beads, or a b b, may be corrugated their whole length. A cup construte'd simihowever, be screwed onto ashort screw-thread l formed close to the shoulder c. The rear end of the shot or projectile may be made solid, and in that case thebottom of the cup may be omitted, so that it will have the form of a cor 'rugated ring, being screwed upon the shoulder as just mentioned. The hollow beads or fillets in the cup may be perforated, as shown in Figs; 1 and 2, and their inner. cavities. be filled with grease, which, by the upsetting,will be forced out through thepevforations to lubricate the gun.

D, Fig. 2, is a cylinder, made of tin-plate .or other light metal, fitted loosely into the cylinder A of the hollow pro'ectile, for the purpose of containing the missiles or substance to be scattered by the explosion of the projectile. This cylinder is open in front for filling, but has its rear closed.

E is a smaller cylinder of similar material, arranged centrally within and-attached permanently to the bottom of the cylinder D, for the purpose of containing the charge of powder by whose explosion the projectile is to be burst. This cylinder E projects some distance beyond the end of D into the head]; of the projectile. The missiles or substance to be-scattered fills the space between the cylinders-D and E, and the said cylinders, being concentric with the axis of the shell, keep the weight of the charge evenly distributed all round the said axis. The drawing represents th space between the cylinders D and E filled with: sand; but it may be filled with pieces of iron, so constructed in the form of rings, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or portions of rings, or portions of a hollow cylinder, as tofill up the said space, in which case the powder-tube Eneed not beattachcd to the outer tube, 1), but may be simply inserted within the. pieces of iron, which will keep it in place concentric with I). The cylinder D facilitates the insertion within the projectile of the missiles or substance to be scattered by the explosion, the said cylindeibeingfilled before its introduction into the projectile. The use of the cylinder E allows the powder to be transported separate from the projectiles in a magazine, but keeps itin a condition of readiness in proper quantities for charging the projectiles.

F is a; smaller cylinder or tube, arranged concentrically within the front portion of the powder-tube E, to whose front end it 'is se cured. This tube is'closed at its rear end to exclude the powder, and is closed at its front end by a plug, on the inside of which-isa nipple, g,. to receive a percussion-cap,andv

through which there is ayeut, i, leading from the nipple to the interior of the powder-cylinder E. The said tube F has fitted loosely within it a plunger, G, at the back of which, is connected a spiral spring, H, which is also arranged within the tube and connected with the rear of the tube, said spring being'of sufli -cient strength to hold the plungerback'from the nipple and prevent it striking the nipple-- and producing a premature explosion by 'any such movements or concussions as are metdent to the handling of the projectile. In the flight of the projectile the plunger falls back in the tube; but when the. projectile strikes 5 and is arrested or retarded the momentum of theplunger makes it.continue' its forward movement, and so makes it strike the cap on the nipple wit-h force enough to explode itand fire the charge of powder in the tube E, by whose explosion the bursting of the projectile is produced. By thus applying'a spring in combination with a plunger a great advantage is obtained over the modes heretofore in-' vented of applying the plunger in percussionprojectiles without a spring, as premature explosion is most effectually guarded against. 'I do not claim, broadly, the insertion of a grease-groove, as shown in G. P. Fosters patent cartridge, 1860; nor do -I claim, broadly, the radial packing of the missiles within the interior of the shell, as shown in Hollands English patent, 18.;34.

secure by Letters Patent, is 1. The construction of projectiles with corrugations or hollow beads a all. I), made and applied, substantially as herein setforth and \Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire todescribed, so that the force of the explosionof the charge will cause'said corrugations to be expanded laterally, as and for the purposes herein set forth and described.

2.. The mode of providing for the lubrication of tllegun by the perforations n n int-he beads, fillets, or corgugations of the cap or other portion of the projectile.

3. Placing the missiles or substance to be scattered by the explosion of ahollow projectile within a cylindrical easing, 1), fitted to the interior of the projectile, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

4. The employment of the cup.C or its equivalent with the cylinder A, as and for the purposes herein set forth and described.

5. The arrangement of the tube F, nipple g, plunger G, and spring H, in combination with the powder-cylinder E, substantially as herein described.

' J. W. COCHRAN. Witnesses:

JNO. H. SCOTT, B. GIROUSE. 

